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Religious Immigration Services 2019 Holiday Message

On a warm September day in Montgomery, Alabama, I joined CLINIC colleagues as we traced the steps along the streets where African slaves were seized and later sold more than 200 years ago. Our trip to the Equal Justice Initiative Legacy Museum and The National Memorial for Peace and Justice was a stark reminder of the evil that surrounded us then and its legacy and parallels with the incarcerations and family separations of today. Nonetheless, the wisdom and experiences of the past shed light and offer hope in difficult times — in Alabama, a civil rights leader invited us to “calibrate our compass,” as we replenish our commitments, rest and re-focus to continue in the right path.

As 2019 comes to an end, I want to express my sincerest gratitude to you and all the international religious workers we feel so honored to have served this year. I cannot recall a busier or more complicated year for the RIS team than this past one. There were times when we felt confused, frustrated and even hopeless as we struggled to make sense of what is happening in immigration law. There are no easy answers or solutions, but despite all this, we have hope.

In this holiday season, we renew our commitment and promise to fight for the rights of all immigrants — in particular, our religious worker clients.

Thank you again for your continued support and may you have a very Merry Christmas and blessed New Year!

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Promoting the Dignity of Immigrants with Affordable Legal Expertise

As it has for more than 30 years, CLINIC will fight for the rights of immigrants. CLINIC trains legal representatives who provide high-quality and affordable immigration legal services. We develop and sustain a network of nonprofit programs that serve close to 500,000 immigrants every year. We cultivate projects that support and defend vulnerable immigrant populations by:

providing direct representation for asylum seekers at the U.S.-Mexico border and educating them about their rights;

reuniting formerly separated families;

increasing legal representation for those in removal proceedings and in detention;

providing public education on immigration law and policies; and

advocating for fair and just immigration policies that acknowledge the inherent dignity and value of all people.

History has taught us that people who step up can make a difference. We hope you will join us.

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About the Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc.

Embracing the Gospel value of welcoming the stranger, CLINIC promotes the dignity and protects the rights of immigrants in partnership with a dedicated network of Catholic and community legal immigration programs. We are based out of Silver Spring, Maryland (Washington, D.C. metropolitan area), with an office in Oakland, California, and additional staff working from locations throughout the country. Questions and inquiries can be sent to national@cliniclegal.org.

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